July 2018 Board Notes

Date:

07/10/2018

Attendance:

Board Attended: Andy, Kevin, Kim, Michelle, Tristan
Board Absent: Jay, Megan, Joe
Observers: Kale, Lauren, and Troy

Notes:

Open Session

  • From Anonymous Email: Would like to make a motion that ATC no longer donate funds to family of staff.
    • We are assuming they are referring to the LEG fund.
    • We assume this is related to Anton’s request for LEG fund due to being related.
    • Currently only exception is ATC Staff.
    • How far would we have to remove, if we don’t pick immediate family? Or same household?
    • To knowledge we haven’t donated to staff from community fund.
    • Occasionally we have given loans/gifts to staff very rarely.
    • Troy: This last request for back taxes, might have been a family member, but unbeknownst to us.
    • John: We could add a, “what’s your relations?” to the community fund form.
    • John: We do donate to causes that our staff members are directly involved in.  It could be related to that.
    • Troy: Would hate to organizations not be valid for donations due to strength of connections to a staff member.
    • Do we ask to exclude immediate family and households?
    • Andy: Do we email them, and ask via the emailer?  Will they be able to get it?
    • We could add it to staff notes?
    • Troy: Do we need to decide if it’s a concern for the board?  If they used this service, the odds of another response is low.
    • Kale: Remember there being a rule that only members in good standing can request a motion.
    • Andy will reach out via email to this person to get more information.
    • REQUEST FROM BOARD: If you sent this email to please send us another e-mail to provide more information, on what items, and what family.

 

Coordinator Updates

 

Anime Detour (Troy) : Vice chairs are still in process of doing 1:1’s with departments.  Bringing up space allocation of what works/didn’t work.  Budgetary items, to shift items to the most appropriate department.  Looking at hotel sites, doing due diligence, so when we look into contact in 2021, we are looking at other sites besides just the Hyatt.

 

Charities (Kale) :

  • Apologies the Anton request didn’t make it out in last attempt.  Trees on property destroyed in a storm with high winds.  Looking for help to get trees removed.  Full quote is $13500, and looking for any assistance we may be willing to provide.
  • Another request is Gifford has reached out to us, that several small towns in Japan are experiencing heavy flooding and property damage.  He’s asking us to find a way to help them.  We asked him if there’s any groups to work with.  A request might be coming about this.
  • Discussion about Trees:
    • Two requests $9000, $4500.
    • This is above our cap of giving
    • There’s a little over $13,000
    • Recently pulled $5k for Sentai
    • Plus money earmarked for Chris.
    • Leaves $5800 in there
    • These are people who never have been or ever will go to Detour
    • They are from Connecticut
    • They are SciFi authors, so are in Fandom
    • Do we want to table it until we get clarity on what has been done already?
    • In past when we haven’t had money we’ve asked if we can run a drive for them, and our community normally responds.
    • If we discourage from donating from connections, we are discouraging them from making connections to people in community.  However disclosure is a good thing.  We just don't’ want to see people penalized.
    • This isn’t a life/dead, we could table until we get more information
    • If Gifford can get us a contact in the city (from Gifford’s request) we could run a drive for that, and possibly even match.
    • This is being tabled until Kale can get a couple questions answered.
  • Kale would like to request the board put out a call to fill the position of Charities Head.  His energy/time isn’t getting well spent on this.  If the board cannot find a better candidate, he will continue to run it.  But would like us to find someone who can run it better.
    • Would would help us in this regard, is a a list of top responsibilities.

 

Clubs - Not Present

 

Community (Lauren):

  • Just did a room party at CONvergence, and came under budget for it.
  • Charities department bought a bunch of stadium cups (2000), gave them 500, and some, but have more.
  • Has a telephone call scheduled with Propell, to talk to the Trainer to schedule board boot camp class.  It is scheduled Monday the 24th. Probably looking Sept/Oct.
  • They also have Presidential Training
  • Got keys to the locker made.  Has copies for all coordinators now and spare set.
  • New Sign for office.  Was at the room party, and now it’s in a box.  It is in the building though!
  • Setting up meeting with coordinators to determine presentation/promotional needs.

 

Media Relations - Not Present - not much in way of updates, Äge looking into contacting local outlets.

  • Kim says they are booking a room at Anime Milwaukee

 

Finance - Kim :

  • Currently bank account is fine.  Once moving money from LEG, balance will be  $237392.
  • LEG will drop to $5884.
  • Currently doing really really well.
  • About $58,000 under all budgets so far for the year.
  • Expect a few departments to still spend money, and after expenses, will come in under $4550k under what we set 8 or 9 months ago.
  • Did get a donation check from Kale’s work for $200, into the LEG account.
  • We made $168.80 in donations at CONvergence room party, into the LEG account.
  • Once those are added in, this year we will only have $1588, and only a couple months to make our $5000 match.
  • Check from Kevin’s work $500 will be coming shortly hopefully.
  • Whole stack of thank you letters, from donations, from check places.  Those will go into the office.
  • Budgets are going to start TODAY.
  • Coordinator budgets start today, except for Detour.
  • They are ready to go out to Coordinators.
  • They are due back by August Board Meeting.
  • Between August and September Board Meetings, a number of coordinators to get together and present the number for the board to vote on.  We will only be approving an overall number, much like Detour.
  • Detour budgets to start 22nd, and due back 31st of August.
  • Between end of August and sometime in September Kim and executives to hash out budget, for October Board Meeting approving Detour budget number.  And hand out budgets October staff meeting.
  • October 1st starts new FY.
  • Handing them out 6 weeks earlier than ever before.
  • 26th of this month, Kim is going into Central Storage, and turn in our notice that we are vacating the space by end of August. 
  • Ben will be putting out a request for help for movement.  We are currently planning to move August 18th.
  • New locker won’t be a code, it’ll be a key+fob. We will have 3 of them.  Ben will have one.  He wants to give one to Diana.  Not sure about third one yet.

 

AGENDA ITEMS:

 

Ratifying Vote: Vote to approve funds for ATC room party at CONvergence.  Vote approved unanimous amongst all present (Andy, Kevin, Kim, Michelle, Tristan).

 

Ratifying Vote: Vote to approve loaning rice cookers to CONvergence.  Vote approved unanimous amongst all present (Andy, Kevin, Kim, Michelle, Tristan).

 

Equipment Request Wording :

  • Confusion about wording if we need to receive 60 days, or vote upon it 60 days before need.
  • VOTE: Andy motion to change wording to clarify intent of receiving it 60 days in advance.  Kim seconds.  Vote passes, unanimous amongst all present (Andy, Kevin, Kim, Michelle, Tristan).

 

Furry Migration Equipment Request :

  • Michelle, has concern that powerstrips might not be labeled for consuite/tech.  So we need to make sure they are returned to the proper location where they are taken from.
  • Gatorade cooler to only have water in them
  • We may not have grid wall anymore.
  • We may need to get Registration approval with giving out pylons. Lauren to contact Reg.
  • VOTE: Michelle motions to approve rental except for grid wall which we don’t have.  Andy seconds.  Vote passes, unanimous amongst all present (Andy, Kevin, Kim, Michelle, Tristan).

 

Coordinator Updates Continued...

 

SOS - Heather :

  • Had ~300 for akihabara, which is more than twice we have had before.  We had some nonshows that we repurposed to swap space. 
  • Found about 4 hours is ideal length of time for this
  • Made universal feedback forms
  • Didn’t do door prizes, but did do father’s day gifts
  • Suggested having regular door prizes keeps people sticking around, so may bring it back in future.
  • Video area went well, but thinking in future may just project it at walls for more space
  • Some are suggesting keeping it on Father’s day on purpose though harder to staff it.
  • Doesn’t have $numbers on them, but probably took in around $300
  • Did sell some merchandise.
  • Wants to double artists tables to 12. 
  • And looking to move to a bigger location after next year.
  • May look into ballrooms at hotels for Sundays as well for a cheaper location.
  • Saturday we have the cosplay picnic, 5th year.  Normally draw 5060 people.  Been promoting it this week with flyers.
    • Also bought a parachute so we can be giant children.
    • Detour is always welcome to have a table, as long as they let them know.
    • Photographers there.
  • Hungry Hungry Hippos will be happening on the 28th.

 

Responsibilities between ATC/AD Marketing Roles:

  • Andy met with several people and came up with feasible division of responsibilities.
  • Chart in email.
  • Looking to approve ATC Media Relation responsibilities.
  • Also lets us write up a position, for the ATC MR position, that Äge is currently filling.
  • Lauren: ensure the atevent posts doesn’t usurp the coordinator’s ability to post as well without going through the positions. “Can also be done by event coordinator”
  • (Shared duties) Thinking about Detour events, Detour is so much allhands, that anyone who can post should be able to. 
  • Idea to set up a web form to get content for website or facebook.
  • Example: Heather is posting prepared posts for SOS events, so under this proposed structure everything would go through the webform. 
    • John: Is this a single point of failure.  If items sit in the web form forever, vs making own posts?
    • Would be willing to give up posts, but not as much events.
  • Heather: Needs ability to still create events on Facebook
  • Heather: Meetup group? 
  • Troy: Recently putting Lauren’s position in, we have the statement of what we want her to do, and what things are shifting to her.
  • Michelle: There’s an option in facebook, so anyone in group can post, but limited admins need to approve.
  • Heather: Today shared SOS event to multiple other groups.  How can this work without ability to post, without doing it on their behalf as themselves?
  • Michelle: Could make Heather a Liason on behalf of SOS to ATC marketing for this purpose.
    • Heather: Makes more sense for them to provide a liason
    • Troy: This is the purpose of a MR coordinator, if we have 5 people to do this, we lose the reason to have one.
  • Heather: Can give up a bunch, but there’s a lot of marketing efforts that would be dumped on this group. More than the board may think.
  • Could be a SOS marketing department, to make it similar to AD Marketing, but only 6 people.
  • Lauren: we have just funneled ATC MR into just social media.  Have we given up concept of doing a newsletter?
  • Heather: Don’t see community promotional stuff on here, like Laurens.
  • Much discussion about if a newsletter is needed or used today in this day and age.  Äge is against a standard newsletter. 
  • Newsletter can be a lot of work.
  • Lots of people are leaving social media.
  • There’s analytical tools for newsletters, we can use to determine if people are reading/using newsletters.
  • Many age groups are using different social media.
  • For newsletters we may need more like 6 months because of word of mouth.
  • From various group pages, the information we think is being conveyed isn’t being conveyed as well as we think it is.
  • Lauren: 14k people saw our facebook but only 300 some engagements.  We are reaching people but not conveying to people.
  • Äge thinkgs Millenials and Gen Z won’t read newsletters.  In our demographics Gen Z is 300 of 6500, and MIllennials about 2000.
  • John: Our own staff isn’t following the posts and finding the information we are posting on Facebook.  Facebook algorithms are changing, so if you don’t go to their pages or us paying, they don't’ see our posts.  Many areas in staff don’t want to pay for those posts.
  • The original role was for the newsletter.  We aren’t adding to the role, it was just chosen not to be persuaded.
  • They (Syn) are using MailBullet 3.0.  It takes about 20 minutes to make a newsletter.  Person making newsletter shouldn’t be creating the content.  It should be coming from coordinators.
  • Äge is doing this in the interim, knowing we are redefining the job description.
  • Troy: There’s a bunch of debate going on when Äge our interim MR head isn’t here to speak to our concerns and questions.
  • Tristan: We keep talking about what we see in the newsletter, how often are we updating our social media?  We posted 9 times in our ATC media.  Last one in December of last year.
  • MIchelle: It is hard to get time for people to write up a description of their department.  It’s difficult to get content for the website, let alone the newsletter.  If we do an outline very similar to GPS, it might not say a lot, but we could do plug and play.
  • Andy: In preparation of future discussion, can us the board come up with what we want in a newsletter, so the coordinator doesn’t have to create the content.
  • Tristan: Define where they are getting information from,the website, the department head, the IT group (ie: forms opening).
  • John: each coordinator could provide tiny snippits, and if Detour doesn’t mention anything, they aren’t included that letter.
  • Lauren: The dumpbin for website/FB, can have a section for the newsletter too, and make it responsible of the coordinators.
  • Lauren: Can we include MR has the ATC logo approval
    • Themes/Troy for Detour Logo
  • Troy/Lauren: Coordinators should have permission to use Logo for their own events.  MR only handles outside approvals.
  • Andy: Should get Äge and Heather together
  • Troy: Doesn’t think Äge wants to craft posts and format it from scratch. If it’s something Heather is willing to do, and Äge okay, should be fine
  • Andy: Any overlap issues with communities?
    • Lauren: Is Communities getting local conventions back?
    • Andy: Communities would take over room parties at local conventions.
    • Kim: Why is Room Parties under Anime Detour?
    • Local room parties are Anime Detour.
    • Troy: Low returns on promoting our social events vs conventions at several hour distances.
    • Does Lauren want to be involved between MR/SOS for posting overlap?
      • Only there to promote events for outside organizations. Shouldn’t overlap with ATC or AD.
    • Heather to get together with Äge/Lauren to discuss non-convention posting break down, when time permits.
    • Tristan: Will Detour only handle facebook?  He dealt with streaming during detour through Morgan last year.
    • Board will come up
      • with a list of what we want the newsletter to contain
      • Get SOS/MR to hash out how they want content to be posted

 

@Adjourned - Michelle, 2nd Andy - All in favor @2048